Inmate-Led Survey Uncovers Widespread Domestic Abuse Among Oklahoma’s Imprisoned Women

A clandestine survey conducted by an incarcerated woman at Oklahoma’s largest women’s prison, Mabel Bassett Correctional Center, reveals a significant number of inmates have histories of domestic abuse directly linked to their offenses. April Wilkens, serving a life sentence for the 1998 murder of her ex-fiancé following years of documented abuse, initiated the unauthorized questionnaire in 2022. Her effort aimed to quantify how many women shared similar experiences, where their crimes were a direct consequence of the violence they endured.

One hundred and fifty-six women completed the survey, detailing histories of abuse that often went unacknowledged in court proceedings. This grassroots initiative provided crucial data for attorneys Colleen McCarty and Leslie Briggs, who were advocating for the Oklahoma Survivors’ Act. The legislation, passed in 2024, allows survivors of domestic violence to petition for reduced sentences if their abuse was a "substantial contributing factor" to their crime.

The survey highlights systemic failures within the justice system to recognize the profound impact of domestic violence on incarcerated women, many of whom were prosecuted for failing to protect children or committing crimes under duress from abusers. Wilkens’s courageous act, risking disciplinary action, brought to light countless untold stories of terror and coercion, underscoring the urgent need for a more nuanced approach to sentencing in cases involving domestic abuse survivors.